In pharmaceutical laboratories, dissolution testing is playing an increasingly important role. Such testing determines the amount of active substance in a pharmaceutical formulation unit given off to a defined medium within a defined period of time. The active substance is generally contained in a pharmaceutical dosage form such as a capsule, tablet, coated tablet or the like, which is used as a therapeutic agent. Typically, a dissolution test is run in a vessel that contains a known volume of media which is usually DI water kept at a temperature of 37C. The active substance is dropped into the vessel of media and a paddle is spun to gently agitate the media. Samples are removed periodically and injected into analyzer equipment such as UV cells, fraction collectors or HPLC systems. After completion of a test cycle, the vessels are thoroughly washed before initiation of a subsequent cycle. Because most of the operational procedures are performed manually, current dissolution testing is highly labor intensive.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved dissolution testing system that more efficiently performs desired test procedures.